Stop the Spread of Invasive Asian Carp Into the Great Lakes

Target: The United States Congress

Goal: Pass legislation to direct the Army Corps of Engineers to finish their study on closing the waterways between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River, to control the spread of the invasive Asian Carp and prevent it from becoming established in the Great Lakes.

Asian carp were brought from China in the 1970s to control parasites on fish farms, but escaped into the wild, where they out-compete native species of fish. Although the Asian carp are not direct predators of threatened native species, they deplete shared food sources and can starve native species out. Asian Carp have already displaced native fish in some sections of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers: in a few areas they account for 90 percent of the fish. Evidence of Asian carp has been found in Mississippi watersheds connected to the Great Lakes, and action must be taken quickly to block their advance.

In the past, invasive species like zebra mussels have used waterways like the Chicago Sanitation and Shipping Canal to enter the Great Lakes. These connections must be closed to prevent new invasions. There are roughly 30 different invasive species whose spread would be controlled by closing these waterways, including the Asian Carp.

The United States Army Corps of Engineers is conducting a study of how to block these aquatic connections, but their study is not expected to be complete until 2015, by which time the Asian Carp may be well established in the Great Lakes. Furthermore, without a Congressional Action the Army Corps lacks the authority to take measures like closing lock and dam facilities. They have deployed electric barriers in an attempt to prevent the Asian Carp’s advance, but some evidence of Asian Carp has already been found upstream of these barriers, and they are very expensive. According to John Rogner, assistant director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, preventing the carp from advancing during a routine electric barrier maintenance procedure costs as much as $250,000.

The five Great Lakes states are currently involved in a court battle to force the Army Corps of Engineers to complete their study more quickly, so that action can be taken to address the threat. Additionally, both the House and the Senate are considering legislation which would direct the Army Corps of Engineers to complete their study in a timely manner. Time is of the essence: tell Congress to support this legislation, so that action can be taken quickly to contain the spread of this invasive fish!


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